Telecommunications is expanding from just providing communications from one user to another user to providing multimedia communications among a group of users. Moreover, telecommunications is more than a mechanism for the traditional functionality of providing communications. Telecommunications is allowing people to socialize even though people may not be located in the immediate vicinity of each other. On the other hand, telecommunications is enabling people in the same immediate vicinity to converse even though people are not really acquainted with each other. As one example, while in the same recreational venue a wireless subscriber may use short message service (SMS) to talk with another wireless subscriber, whom the wireless subscriber would like to know. Communications is thus providing a non-traditional function of introducing people in order for people to meet with other people.
In line with the above discussion, friends want to socialize with each other whether or not in close proximity. However, people are “on the go,” traveling to other cities, states, or countries. People want to share the experience of enjoying a good song or video with friends even though they not are physically near each other. They want to talk about the feeling and ideas that the performance or recording has provoked. In order to provide an effective experience, both the medium being perceived and any associated communication should be synchronized among all the participants.
It would be advantageous to enable people to watch or listen to the same performance or recording, such as a song or video that is conveyed on a recording medium, at substantially the same time in distant locations and to engage in interaction with other users having access to the recording medium. Moreover, it is important that the intellectual property rights of the media owners are protected.